ride on

American River, Folsom California

Almost made it to the 1,000 mile mark on Bella yesterday. Ride started off with some breathing allergy-asthma issues but after a brief stop at a coffeehouse and a quick skinny latte, those problems went away and I felt like I could ride forever. Alas,  ran out of both time and daylight.

Plan is for a long walk today while this good weather lasts. I'm going to listen to Kathleen Edwards' new album.



Hope you're doing well with your new year goals & intentions, whatever they may be.

~♥~

nest feathering

New this year -  an entry table.

The amaryllis opened today!

Monday weigh in: 136.4

~♥~

look up and see

Tonight's sunset from the walking trail. Enjoying this incredible weather while it lasts.

~♥~

where not to look for freedom

 I love riding my bike to this song.

~♥~

it's never too late

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something's a little fishy

One thing about the sugar free challenge, I'm exploring savory snacks. Tried two recently, kale chips and seaweed strips. The seaweed snacks are from Trader Joe's. The texture and flavor took some getting used to. The plain roasted variety was a bit too fishy tasting for me and the wasabi favored snacks were a bit too hot. I could probably develop a taste for either but think I'm going to learn to make my own tasty kale chips instead.

I tried a kale krunch product from Whole Foods - (does anyone know if TJ's has a kale chip snack?). I asked the helpful Whole Foods guy stocking the shelves nearby on the type a rookie should try. He directed me to their most popular seller. Something cheesy. That's cheesy in a good way, mind you. Yum! The only drawback is the price.

 Do you make your own kale chips? Got any tips?

~♥~

Dude, I'll keep this in mind

This is exactly the pep talk I need to get back to pilates.

~♥~

real food isn't bad

"Real food isn’t bad. If it came from the earth and hasn’t been tampered with by hormones and tons of chemicals and artificial everything, it’s likely pretty good nourishment. Eat it in moderation. Eat a variety of it. Prepare it with care. Make your plate pretty. Share it with people you love. Put down your fork between bites and make conversation as you break bread. Wash it down with a glass of wine and maybe a little something sweet. Push away from the table satisfied, but not stuffed."

~ Selene Yeager (Fit Chick)

~♥~

back to the garden

Each Monday, I receive an email from the Meatout Monday folks. Honestly, I don't always open them but I did this morning because the word "kale" caught my eye. Just happens I have some kale that needs to be used today. This email offered a recipe for White Bean & Kale Stew. Sounded good except for the fennel bulb. Did a quick search of the internets for other recipes with kale and white beans as main ingredients. What I found is they are mostly a variation on a basic theme. Going to try my own variation tonight and see what happens. May even make some kale chips.

Guess what?! I have a renewed interest in trying new clean eating recipes. Do you have a current favorite? I'm also putting together a list of blogs focused on clean eating. Do you have one or know of one to suggest?

For those of you catching the "back to the garden" reference: click here.

Monday weigh in: 137

~♥~

what's up, indeed

One intention I have for the year ahead is to read more health related books. I'm starting out the year with this one -- it's looking to be a tough act to follow! While I have a Master's degree in health communication, my reading in this area has really fallen off. That's about to change.

~♥~

you've earned it

"Relax or revive sore tight muscles for the next event. You've earned it!
Our natural aromatic herbs will work their magic while you soak or shower."

I've been using this Active Athletic Shower/Bath gel from Kiss My Face in my bath at bedtime and yes, it is just the thing for legs that have been cycling and walking/hiking. Good stuff.

~♥~

orange food

Had the Dr. Oz show on in the background as I was doing some cleaning and kept hearing about the amazing cancer fighting properties of "orange foods." I happen to like pumpkin and sweet potatoes so I did a little jiggity-jig and listened up for some recipes.

Here's an easy one for spicy pumpkin soup that I'm going to try tonight. What would you serve to go with this?

Update: I made the soup last night. Verdict: OK. Suspect there are better recipes out there. Will keep tweaking it.

 [Image source]

~♥~

bike trail rewards

Taken with my iPhone from the bike trail yesterday evening. Strangely warm and dry weather here. While I appreciate being outside riding in January, we need snow up at Tahoe.

~♥~

indispensable tee

I love this tee shirt! It's J. Crew's Perfect-fit long-sleeve tee. Small or medium works out well, although the sleeves on the medium are a bit long (notice how the long-armed model is even scrunching up the sleeves). This is the perfect layering tee as it is very soft, thin and has a great neckline. I like to buy these at J. Crew outlet stores. Picked up four last week at $7.99 ea.

~♥~

This I can do

Rules/Conditions/Suggestions for the January Sugar Free Challenge hosted by Spoonful of Sugar Free:

Are you allowed to eat fruit during the challenge?
Yes, you are allowed to eat fruit. Try not to overdo it, though (as in, don’t eat 15 bananas a day!). Other than that, I believe the naturally occurring sugars found in fruit are perfectly healthy in small amounts. Fruit contains plenty of antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins to help your body.

 Is stevia allowed during the challenge? Since stevia is considered a sugar-substitute, I am not allowing it in the challenge. This makes the challenge, well, more challenging! Challenging is fun! If you think that you absolutely cannot complete the challenge without stevia, then feel free to use it. 

Is alcohol allowed during the challenge? Yes, as long as it isn’t a “mixed” alcoholic beverage like margaritas, because they have added sugar. Mixed alcoholic drinks that use only fruit juice and no added sugar are accepted. Plain wine, beer, etc. are allowed.

~♥~

challenging times

This whole 30-day challenge dealio is new to me. Never done one before although I've lurked in the shadows plenty times and observed others. So, why now? First of all, I'm not doing it to lose weight. That would be a welcome result don't get me wrong, but it's not the motivator. I just think refined sugar is basically toxic. And, I've been ingesting a lot of it lately. I'm going sugar free in January because I want to reset my appetite for sugar back to where it has been in the past. I want to think about fruit when I want something sweet -- not frozen yogurt or See's Candy.

~♥~

another milestone reached

Belle during a brief stop along the banks of the American River.

My New Year's Day bike ride yesterday put me over the 4,000 miles mark. Yippee-ki-yay!

Monday weigh in: 135.6

~♥~

eyes wide open

"We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...
not looking for flaws, but for potential." 

 ~ Ellen Goodman

~♥~

no sugar, no problem

Well, looky here. It's my first challenge.

~♥~